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A sensational night in Dortmund
July 4th, 2006
Let me get my news out of the way first. I got a ticket for the Germany v
Italy semi-final.
One of the members of my father's tour group had a ticket for a relative
that couldn't go to the game. When my dad found out, he rang me and asked
me if I wanted to buy it. How lucky was that?
The heat returned with vengeance today. I spent a few hours wandering
around Düsseldorf's historic area and, if my hotel room was no cooler than
the streets outside, I might have returned to it for some relief. (Shops,
cafés and bars are no relief either. Now don't get me wrong, Germany has
been fantastic, but in the last few weeks I've often wondered why one of
the world's most technologically-advanced nations has such ineffective air
conditioning in so many places.)
I met my father's tour group late in the afternoon - I was able to get a
ride to Dortmund on its bus - and seeing everyone wearing football shirts
helped me to forget that I was feeling hot and tired. Perhaps that's a
sign of addiction. (Though it's probably better to be addicted to football
than to hard drugs or alcohol - even if it is more expensive.)
As I walked into the stadium, I realised that I hadn't attended a match
for eight days and that seemed like an age. I suppose it is an age when
you compare that to the flurry of matches I had tickets for during the
group phase.
I had been to a match in Dortmund on the tournament's second day (Trinidad
& Tobago v Sweden) and my seat was again elevated over a corner flag. This
time I was on the main camera side to the right of screen (opposite the
end that the goals were scored at). The first time I was in Dortmund, I
was in a similar spot but to the left of screen.
How can I explain the atmosphere? You would anticipate something special
in a World Cup semi-final that included the host nation but this exceeded
my expectations. The Germans, who have shown such enthusiasm throughout
the last four weeks, supported their team with incredible passion.
It was worth attending just to hear them and to see all the white shirts
and German flags packed into the stadium.
The match itself, played on a barmy night, was absolutely magnificent - a
true contest between two World Cup heavyweights. There may have been no
goals until the end, but the encounter was enthralling nonetheless.
The first half saw a tough battle for control. No real chances - Bernd
Schneider's shot in the 34th minute was possibly the best one - but both
sides were forced to defend well. Italy, the away team, played with
impressive composure.
My only criticism of the Italians is that they were a little cynical in
the second half. Germany lifted another notch and some of Italy's players
responded by spending a bit too much time rolling on grass. Nevertheless,
it was quite a clean game and that was a relief given the unedifying
scenes in some recent matches.
When normal time ended, Marcello Lippi must have reminded his players that
facing Germany in a penalty shootout is a sure way of getting eliminated
so Italy began extra time by rattling the frame of Jens Lehmann's goal
twice in two minutes.
Back came the Germans and only Lukas Podolski can explain what happened
when he had a free header later in the first half of extra time.
Before the second half of extra time, the German crowd, fervent all night,
sang Deutschland Über Alles for the first time since the anthems were
played before the match.
Another Australian was sitting near me and we had chatted occasionally
throughout the evening. After the Germans sang their anthem, he said, in
three sentences, everything you need to know about being at a World Cup:
"You can show people the photos. You can try to talk about what happened.
But how do you even begin to explain this to people?"
How amazing was the second half of extra time? How refreshing was it to
see two teams refusing to settle for penalties? Fabio Grosso was again
decisive with time running out but there was no controversy this time. The
Germans were then punished by Alessandro Del Piero after they pushed
forward in a desperate attempt to equalise.
I'm sure there will be plenty of column inches and web pages that will
overanalyse the game. Germany lost because of this and Italy won because
of that. Don't fall for it. This was an epic contest between two
evenly-matched teams. Italy scored, Germany didn't, and that's really all
there is to it. The outcome did not hinge on a referee's decision either.
The margins are fine at the highest level of international football. Not
long before Grosso's goal, Gianluigi Buffon made a wonderful save to deny
Podolski. Both teams nearly scored before the deadlock was finally broken.
After the match ended, the German fans did not leave and they paid their
tribute to the vanquished team which stayed on the pitch to thank them for
their support.
The chants of "Deutschland" continued and then the crowd sang Jürgen
Klinsmann's name. I had been quiet throughout the match, but I joined the
singing at that point. Klinsmann's contribution to this tournament can not
be understated.
I congratulated two Italians who were to my left and consoled two Germans
who were on my right. One of them just said "that's football" and then he
and his mate toasted their team with the plastic cups that you get your
drinks in at these matches. The German fans were a class act in defeat and
even though their team will not hold the World Cup trophy aloft on Sunday,
they are not losers.
I know I haven´t said anything about Italy´s fans but they were heavily
outnumbered and they were never going to be heard over the home team´s
supporters. Those near me were as gracious in victory as the Germans were
in defeat.
It took a long time for the bus I was on to make its way through the
traffic and I didn´t return to my hotel until 3.00 am. I was a bit sad
because I won´t be attending another match at this World Cup and I´ve
enjoyed it so much. Tomorrow, I return to Frankfurt and will probably
watch the other semi-final in a bar or café. On Thursday, I´ll fly home
exhausted but richer for the experience.
I am grateful that it included this sensational night in Dortmund.
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